Sweep of latest attacks in Iraq surprised U.S.

Sunday

Aug 29, 2010 at 12:01 AMAug 29, 2010 at 11:48 AM

BAGHDAD - Insurgents with al-Qaida in Iraq claimed responsibility yesterday for a wave of car bombings, roadside mines and hit-and-run attacks last week in at least 13 Iraqi cities and towns, a deadly and relentless campaign whose breadth surprised American military officials and dealt a blow to Iraq's fledgling security forces.

BAGHDAD — Insurgents with al-Qaida in Iraq claimed responsibility yesterday for a wave of car bombings, roadside mines and hit-and-run attacks last week in at least 13 Iraqi cities and towns, a deadly and relentless campaign whose breadth surprised American military officials and dealt a blow to Iraq's fledgling security forces.

At least 56 people were killed in the attacks, in which insurgents deployed more than a dozen car bombs. Two of the assaults wrecked police stations in Baghdad and Kut, a city southeast of the capital.

U.S. and Iraqi officials said measures taken by security forces prevented the attacks from inflicting a greater higher toll.

The statement from the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group for the al-Qaida militants, was posted on one of its websites. It called the assaults “the wings of victory sweeping again over a new day.” The group said it had attacked “the headquarters, centers and security barriers of the apostate army and police.”

For weeks, officials had warned that insurgents might try to escalate attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, which began

this month.

Popular frustration

has risen sharply this summer as scorching heat accentuates shortages of electricity and drinking water; shoddy delivery of water is one of Iraqis' long-standing grievances.

U.S. military officials have said that the most formidable Sunni insurgents might number just in the hundreds. Although the officials said they knew that attacks like Wednesday’s were still possible, they were nevertheless struck by the extent of the campaign.

James F. Jeffrey, who became the U.S. ambassador to Iraq this month, said the attacks showed “organizational capability” and “the ability to find vulnerable targets.” But he added: “This does not change our assessment that the security situation, by every statistic that we have looked at, is far better than it was a year or two ago.”